Jet Li, left, Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone appear in a scene from the New Orleans-shot action film 'The Expendables.' Shot last summer, it is set to open in August.As the mid-point of 2010 nears, the local movie-production scene just keeps whirring away, with the big-budget DC Comics film "The Green Lantern" doing its secretive, superhero thing, the Jason Segel comedy "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" wrapping a week and a half ago, and the perpetual-motion machine known as WWE Studios preparing to crank up Monday on yet another in its string of locally shot projects, the New Orleans-set comedy "The Chaperone."

Of course, audiences will have to wait a year or so to actually see any of those movies, the production pipeline being the time-consuming beast that it is. But it got us thinking: Whatever happened to the films that were shooting locally at this time last year? Or the year before? Or even before that?

Well, two of them are scheduled in local movie theaters this month. Others appear destined for DVD stores. And still others seem to have vanished without a trace.

So you can keep track, here's a Hollywood South scorecard, a quick rundown of movies you might be wondering about. I've left out those that only recently wrapped their local shoots -- movies like "Red" and "Earthbound" and "Killing Karma" (which, incidentally, now goes by the title "Inside Out"), since they're so early in the post-production process.

Otherwise, the movies listed below are the same ones you might have seen filming on the streets of New Orleans recently. Now you can see them the way the good Lord intended: in a dark theater with a Barq's and tub of popcorn at your side.

Jonah Hex in a scene from the locally shot 'Jonah Hex.'Right around the corner

"Jonah Hex."Josh Brolin's turn as the dark DC Comics anti-hero was filmed in town last summer with Warner Bros. footing the bill and a supporting cast including John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Shannon and Michael Fassbender. With a release date of June 18, interest has been building online, with new trailers, new photos and lots of chatter turning up all the time. The wait is almost over.

"The Expendables." At the same time "Jonah Hex" was shooting, Sylvester Stallone came to town with a busload of his well-muscled friends -- Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke -- for this darkly comic mercenary story. Not only does Stallone star, but he wrote and directed, too. Lionsgate will release it into theaters on Aug. 13, and the first trailer came out just last week. Find it at www.nola.com/movies.

"The Last Exorcism." This "Blair Witch"-style horror film -- produced by "Hostel" writer and "Inglourious Basterds" star Eli Roth -- shot in Orleans and St. Bernard Parish last year under the name "Cotton." It's since gotten a new name, and a distribution deal with Lionsgate, which plans an Aug. 27 release. The story: A troubled minister-charlatan gives the green-light for a documentary crew to film his last fraudulent days as an exorcist. When he does, it's his faith that gets put to the test.

"Loss of a Teardrop Diamond." Way back in 1957, Tennessee Williams wrote a screenplay about a Memphis debutante who tries to pass off her lower-class boyfriend as a member of the upper crust. It languished, untouched, until late summer 2007, when Jodie Markell dusted it off and shot it in Baton Rouge, with Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Evans in the lead roles. Although it saw a limited theatrical release earlier this year after making the rounds of the film-festival circuit, it never played theatrically in New Orleans -- until now. On June 12 and 13, the New Orleans Film Society hosts Markell for two screenings of her film at the Prytania Theatre. Both screenings start at 3 p.m., and tickets are $10 ($8 for film society members).

Jim Carrey is taken into custody in a scene from the New Orleans-shot 'I Love You Phillip Morris' -- a film that is seeing legal troubles of its own.Coming soon

"Welcome to the Rileys."The impressive cast of this indie drama -- which includes James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Kristen Stewart -- was enough reason to sit up and take note when it shot in town in late 2008. The positive notices it received earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, however, made it clear that this story -- about a grieving couple who take a misguided young woman under their wing -- could be special. So much so, in fact, that the indie distribution house Apparition picked it up and, presumably with an eye on an awards-season run, scheduled it for limited release this fall, right smack in the middle of Hollywood's prestige season.

"I Love You Philip Morris."When is a gay romantic comedy really a legal drama? When it's "I Love You Phillip Morris," which shot in town in summer 2008 and stars Jim Carrey as a con-man determined not to let a little thing like prison to keep him from the tender embrace of Ewan MacGregor. After all major U.S. distributors passed on the film following its debut at the 2009 Sundance and Cannes film festivals -- apparently nervous over the no-holds-barred content -- it was finally picked up for domestic distribution by tiny Consolidated Film Group. Before it could hit theaters, however, Consolidated got into a legal brouhaha with the film's financiers at Europa Corp. over the release strategy. The legal squabbling was taken to new heights this week when Europa convinced a judge to issue an injunction barring Consolidated's release of the film until their differences can be ironed out. Despite that, I'm told that moviegoers could conceivably see it in theaters as early as this fall. Or not, given how slowly the wheels of justice often grind. Oh, well. You know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder.

"The Mechanic."Right after he wrapped on "The Expendables" last summer, Statham signed on for last fall's locally shot reimagining of Charles Bronson's moody 1972 hit-man drama. It's still in the production pipeline, with Lionsgate set to send it into theaters in December.

"Legendary." Last fall, the fledgling WWE Studios came to town to shoot six films back-to-back-to-back in New Orleans in a novel strategy to reduce costs. On Sept. 10, Samuel Goldwyn -- which specializes in limited releases of indie films -- is expected to release the first one. "Legendary" (working title: "Brother's Keeper"), stars Patricia Clarkson, Danny Glover and pro wrestler John Cena, in a dramatic comedy about a bookish teen who joins the school wrestling team in a bid to reunite his fractured family.

"Knucklehead." The second in the WWE Studios slate, which wrapped in New Orleans in November, will also be handled by Samuel Goldwyn. It's an action comedy starring Mark Feuerstein, Melora Hardin and pro-wrestler Paul "Big Show" Wight, in a story about a down-on-his-luck fight promoter who finds a potential meal ticket in an enormous handyman for a local orphanage. Expect it later in the fall.

"That's What I Am."WWE Studios again, with a "Wonder Years"-style dramatic comedy that shot this spring in Jefferson under the working titles "Big Red" and "Big Ginger." . It stars Ed Harris and Randy Orton in a drama about a middle-school kid and the invaluable life lessons he learns from a special teacher. No release date or distribution deal has been announced.

Kristen Stewart, William Hurt and Eddie Redmayne star in the locally shot 'Yellow Handkerchief,' which has yet to play in area theaters.Watch the video store

"Father of Invention."Kevin Spacey, Johnny Knoxville and Camilla Belle were here in August to shoot this indie comedy, about an inventor who must reinvent his life after one of his products ends up maiming people. After screening in February at the Berlin International Film Festival, little has been heard from it. Producers couldn't offer an update this week, although a less-than-flattering review from The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt -- who saw it in Berlin -- speculated that "despite that cast, commercial opportunities appear limited to home entertainment."

"Hurricane Season."There were big hopes for this based-on-real-events Katrina drama, starring Forest Whitaker as the coach of John Ehret High School's real-life odds-defying basketball team, whose inspirational post-storm journey brought it a state championship. The movie version, however, which shot under the working title "Patriots" in summer 2008, didn't turn out to be quite as inspirational, with the Weinstein Co. unceremoniously relegating it to direct-to-DVD status in February. Deleted scenes included on the DVD suggest the editing didn't do it any favors, eliminating some scenes that had potential to add emotion and poignancy to director Tim Story's movie.

"Middle of Nowhere." Long before her trip to town to play Jason Segel's mother in the just-wrapped Duplass brothers comedy "Jeff, Who Lives at Home," Susan Sarandon shot this little indie drama in Baton Rouge in 2007, playing the on-screen mother of her real-life daughter Eva Amurri. Sarandon's role is what she described soon after shooting as "a tiny part -- it's really (Eva's) movie," in the story about a woman who blows one daughter's college fund on the modeling career of her other daughter. After bowing at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008, it failed to catch on with theatrical distributors, and is set for DVD release July 13.

"Who Do You Love?" Almost from the beginning, it felt as if the deck was stacked against this indie drama about the old Chess Records label. As it was shooting, another Chess movie -- one with a bigger budget and bigger stars -- went into production under the title "Cadillac Records." That one hit theaters first, making it hard for "Who Do You Love?" -- which was shot under the working title "Chess"-- to find a home. In April, it opened in limited release in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, with plans to expand if it did well, according to a movie spokesman. It has yet to expand.

"Yellow Handkerchief." The little road movie with the unintentionally disgusting title shot throughout south Louisiana, including in Abita Springs, in spring 2007 with Kristen Stewart, William Hurt and Maria Bello starring. It played Sundance in 2008 before being picked up by indie distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films and playing a handful of festivals. It opened in limited release -- Goldwyn's specialty -- in February but has yet to open in New Orleans. There's always a chance it could be picked up by a local theater, or perhaps screened by the New Orleans Film Society as part of a special engagement. Otherwise, despite its mostly positive notices, it could be headed for video stores.

Justin Martin, left, and Karl Urban, in a scene from 'Black Water Transit,' a crime drama that shot in post-Katrina New Orleans in 2007.Missing in action

"Black Water Transit." Director Tony Kaye's crime thriller, which shot in late 2007 and stars Karl Urban ("Star Trek") and Brittany Snow ("Hairspray") -- and which made generous use of post-Katrina scenery still littering parts of the city at the time -- has been mired in what seems like endless difficulties. First, Samuel L. Jackson backed out of the cast, to be replaced by Laurence Fishburne. Then came reports of squabbles involving unpaid bills, followed by what has been described as serious creative issues. Capitol Films, which financed the production, identifies it as "completed" on its website, but with little other new information. According to a Hollywood producer who worked on the film -- although not in a producer's capacity -- "it's doubtful it will ever see the light of day."

"Max's Mardi Gras." Nobody expected this boozy romp -- backed by Maxim magazine and shot by Sony Pictures' Screen Gems arm back in May 2008 -- to be a masterpiece. But most people expected it at least to have been seen by now. Last year, however, after shuffling it around on its release schedule a couple of times, Sony removed it altogether -- and with no comment as to where it went. Could be extended post-production. Could be on a bender.

"Robosapien: Rebooted." Superproducer Avi Arad -- the man credited with all but inventing the modern superhero movie with "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" -- came to town to shoot this kid-friendly adventure, based on the once-popular toy, in spring 2008. Since then, no signs of life have emerged -- no screenings, no sales deals, no nothing -- as the movie has gone into extended post-production.